Outfitter Review - Whetstone Creek

Outfitter Information

Outfitter Name: Whetstone Creek

Outfitter / Contact: Christi /Dean Rozeboom

Location: SD, United States of America

Hunt Information

Animals Hunted: Rio Grande and Merriam's Turkeys

Game Quality: Excellent

Game Quantity: Excellent

Accomodations: Outstanding

Camp Condition: Poor archery blinds

Food Quality: N/A

Guide Experience: Poor

Other Personal Experience: N/A

Review Information

Hunter: Jerry Long

Phone:

Email:

Would Recommend: No

Overall Impression: Over-pressured, poor management.

Here is my report from our recent trip for turkey to Whetstone Creek in SD booked with Gander Mountain Outdoor Adventures. 1) Outfitter: Whetstone Creek (booked by Gander Mountain Outdoor Adventures)2) Owner: Christi & Dean Rozeboom 3) Address: Gander Mountain Outdoor Adventures, 180 East Fifth Street, Suite 1300 Saint Paul, MN 551014) Phone: Gander Mountain Outdoor Adventures (877)482-3982 5) E-mail: nick.chiodo@gandermountain.com 6) When: May 1-4, 2008 7) Where: Burke, SD 8) Guided: Semi-guided; pointed out roosts and small amount of available property. 9) Drop: No 10) Transportation to hunting area: Ten minute self-drive from lodging to hunting area, walk in & out. 11) Accommodations: WELL-equipped ranch house including HOT showers. 12) Trophy hunt only: No 13) Species hunted / harvested: Rio Grande and Merriam's turkeys hunted. Two Rio Grande turkeys harvested. 14) Tools used: Bow. 15) Land hunted: Private 16) Cost: $475 per person for three night/three day hunt. 17) Challenging terrain adversely affect hunt: No 18) Did weather adversely affect hunt: Yes. Heavy winds and rain on May 1st; 60 mph gusts, horizontal rains, and stinging ice on May 2nd. 19) Quantity of game: Excellent 20) Quality of game: Excellent 21) Guide's Competence: Group could have used more "semi-guiding." 22) Guide's Hunting Ethics: Unknown 23) Condition of Equipment: Some blinds were available on the property, but the one we saw (small hoop blind) would not have functioned well for archery. 24) Food: Group provided using the well-equipped kitchen. 25) Accommodations: Outstanding. Best place I've ever stayed while hunting. 26) Trophy care: Handled by hunters. 27) Meat care: Freezer on sight. 28) Number of outfitted / guided hunts for myself: 6 29) Contact me on Bowsite, user name dustyvarmint if you have questions. 30) Recommended: No. If you can afford to double the hunt cost and use a proven archery outfitter then do so. If this price-point is all you can afford, you want to observe lots of turkeys doing what turkeys do, and you will accept marginal shot opportunities then you may want to consider this hunt. General comments: There were 5 members in this group. Opinions given are mine and not necessarily that of the other group members. Two birds were taken. Four of five hunters took shots from 20 to 30 yards at birds genuinely trying to avoid blinds and decoys. Prairie dog shooting and coyote hunting were also available. Two people fired 5 shots each starting at 319 yards in the prairie dog town - there was no further action. We didn't try coyote calling. The area is beautiful. I recommend having Christi give you a comprehensive tour of the available hunting property. We started looking at this hunt a year ahead of time. Initial calls and e-mail to Gander Mountain Outdoor Adventures went unanswered. Once contact was made by us we were told by Mike at Gander Mountain Outdoor Adventures several times that this was an archery hunt, unpopular and there was no need to book until late winter. When we called back to book we were told that the first three weekends were already booked. That pushed us into week four. Highly recommend dealing only with Nick.

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